Saturday, September 05, 2015

Propel Your Writing Forward This Fall

Monday is Labor Day and the official end to
summer. Do you want to move your writing to a new level of excellence and
achievement? I want to give you five ways to propel your writing
forward.Attend A Writer's
Conference

Thousands of submissions sit on the desk of editors
and agents across the country. Which ones get moved forward and attention?
Publishing is like any other business—and I've mentioned this before—it is
connected to who you know as much as what you know. Yes, your writing has to be
excellent and compelling but you can cut years off the process of
getting published, if you know the right person. I did not exaggerate with that
word years in the last sentence.How do you find that right person to publish your
material? It's almost impossible to do it just sitting at your computer. You
need to get to a writers' conference and meet the right people. I understand
your possible reluctance. Many writers are introvert and not eager to speak with
people. You will need to step out of your comfort zone and make the effort to
meet others. You can prepare by making some business cards with your photo,
phone number, email and website. Then bring those cards to a
conference.Last week I booked my airline ticket and reserved
my hotel room for Author 101 University next month in Los Angeles. This event is
held twice a year and it is different from your typical writer's conference. The
focus is entirely on different ways to market and sell your book. The faculty
comes with diverse skills to help you in any area of writing. You will have
many opportunties to talk with each of them—including me but you have to take
action: register for the conference, reserve your hotel room and make plans to
attend. To give you incentive, use this coupon code when you register and save
$100: TERRY plus you can bring a friend for free. Now that is a bargain
for every writer.

To learn more about Author 101 University, catch this free
interview I did last month with Morgan James Publisher and founder of Author 101 Rick Frishman.
The interview is now on replay and you will have instant access to the
recording. Plus you can get the free Ebook, The Top Twenty Author
Mistakes (and learn a great deal from reading this resource). There are many great conferences. From my years in
this business, I encourage you to make plans to attend Author 101 University
which is an excellent choice.Join A Critique GroupIf you have never been in a critique group or don't
know how to find one, read this article. The necessity to write something for each
meeting will move your writing forward and the feedback from others (outside of
your family) will help you have more confidence in your writing and improve your
writing skill. You can meet online or in person. I believe in person is much
more profitable and better but I've heard of writers using either method
effectively. The key is to take action and form a group or join a group already
in progress.Find An Accountability
PartnerWho knows about your writing and cares about it
that is in your immediate circle of friends or family? Can you speak with this
person and ask them to hold you accountable for your writing and moving forward?
It is a simple conversation but can be significant to gain someone else who
knows about what you want to accomplish and move forward with your
writing.Set A Consistent Writing
GoalI've interviewed more than 150 bestselling authors.
One habit which is consistent with these authors is a consistent writing goal.
You can have a daily or weekly amount of words that you are going to produce.
Keep that goal on a little post-it or in front of you so you regularly tackle it
and hit it. Make sure you set something realistic that you can actually
accomplish. You will be shocked at how this consistent effort of writing will
move your writing goals forward.Form A New HabitFinally I encourage you to take a hard look at your
writing life and what you want to achieve. Is there a new habit you can add to
your life which will help you achieve that goal? For example, if you write
romance books, then you need to be regularly reading that genre. If you want to
write magazine articles, then you need to be reading magazines. Fit this new
habit into your life and it will move your writing forward.These five ideas are nothing new and maybe you've
heard them before. The key is to take consistent action and not let another
month pass before you are moving forward with your writing life. Let me know how
it is going and be encouraged.